Since I’m so thrifty, I don’t usually order shoes when they’re brand new. I wait until the new version is out and then order them for a hefty savings – normally under $80 I’d say. Preferably closer to $60. So I’m not the greatest source for the latest and greatest shoes. I’ve been wanting to try shoes with a lower heel to toe drop to help encourage a more mid-foot strike as I’m running. That’s why I was trying the Saucony Guide & Ride, but it seems like my feet just don’t fit in Saucony shoes. The 12.5 Guide was too lose and caused blisters. The 12 Ride was too tight and pinched my little toe.
Beat up shoe boxSo I decided to go with a bit “smaller” shoe and ordered a pair of Brooks PureCadence from Hola Bird Sports. I have one “quip” with Hola Bird. Their return policy says that shoes can only be returned if the box is undamaged, but they just put a plastic envelope around the shoe and stick a shipping label to it. The box arrived all beat up and I have a feeling I’d be hassled if I tried to return them. Oh, and you can’t return the shoes if they’ve been worn outside. This policy is no where near as friendly as Running Warehouse that allows you 90 days to try shoes! Good thing they fit and felt good on my feet.
Nice looking shoesThe shoes certainly looked nice enough out of the box. Build quality feels great, and the shoes feel very light, compared to what I’m used to anyways. My Books Adrenaline GTS 11 size 12 weighs 13.45oz with a Superfeet blue insole in it. The PureCadence weights in at 10.95 for my size 12. Very noticeable! The lacing of the shoes is a bit offset, I guess to follow the curve of the foot. They have a 4mm heel to toe drop compared to 8mm for the Saucony shoes and 12mm for the Adrenaline line. That’s also quite noticeable, even when just walking around. There is less padding around the heel area when compared to the Adrenalines. But the arch support in the PureCadence feels very pronounced, almost like a bump in the middle of the arch. I didn’t really notice it when running though.
I took them out for a run tonight and could feel the difference. Going for that “more natural” mid-foot strike felt much easier. And I could feel the new stresses being put on my calf muscles and left Achilles area. I did a strides workout that is described in my Running Wizard training plan – warm up, 6×100 strides with 300 recovery, and cool down. Running the strides in these shoes felt great. I had to dial back my pace because I was trying to run too fast. A couple hours afterwards, and my legs are sore. I am definitely going to have to ease in to these shoes, and they’ll probably just be used for these “speed” workouts for a few weeks. I’ll try to report back after my legs get used to them. If I like them I think I’ll have a hard time tracking down a new pair, but maybe I won’t wear them out until I can get the PureCadence 2 on discount!
